• “Fairy Tale” by Devyn Krevat, Carmel Valley: Some familiar characters — the hero and the damsel and the evil villain — behave in unfamiliar ways in this saga; Kouma says it revolves in some ways around “putting childlike behavior behind and facing the unknown.”

• “Thirty-nine to Forty” by Erica Myrmel, Ocean Beach: The festival’s playwrights often show an uncanny sense for getting inside grown-ups’ heads; This piece centers on a world-weary divorce lawyer facing a dreaded birthday, and finding his zest for life reignited by a chance encounter with a skateboarder.

Staged Readings

• “Pound” by Matthew Maceda, Rancho Peñasquitos: Matthew’s piece focuses on a once-pampered puppy who is given up after a home foreclosure, and learns hard lessons from other pups at the pound. “It’s subtle, but it’s really beautiful,” says Kouma.

• “Mostly Perfect” by Heidi Erwin, Rancho Peñasquitos: Two older people living in a utopian society find life pretty lifeless, so one of them tries to rob a bank, but (apparently literally) can’t get arrested. “I love the idea of a 13-year-old worried about how bored she might be as a senior citizen,” Kouma says of the playwright.

Director George Yé works with actors Carol Cabrera and Carlos Angel-Barajas, who have the lead roles in Kirra McColl’s play “A Perfect Home."— Nancee E. Lewis

Director George Yé works with actors Carol Cabrera and Carlos Angel-Barajas, who have the lead roles in Kirra McColl’s play “A Perfect Home."
/ Nancee E. Lewis

• “A Perfect Home” by Kirra McColl, Leucadia: A pair of rats set out to find a new home in New York City in this tale of conflict and compromise; Edward learns to step up to the plate a bit more, and earns wife Margaret’s hard-won respect.

PROGRAM B (recommended for age 16 and over); directed by Manny Fernandes

Full Productions:

• “Little Elephant” by Isaac Dwyer, Idyllwild: The idea for this sobering piece came from a case study the playwright read about a girl who was kept confined in a dark room for the first 12 years of her life. The play, which also echoes a recent news story, centers on a mother and child who are both held captive. Kouma says the play pivots on how the two come to grips with their situation and the complex bonds between them.

• “Nine Hours” by Zoe Kamil, San Francisco: In this piece, the last two people on Earth are an Orthodox Jewish woman and a man who identifies as female; the writer was partly inspired by the experience of attending a very conservative school in a famously liberal city.

Staged Readings

• “The Island” by Carly Cipriano, Rancho Peñasquitos: A shipwrecked sailor meets a lonely hermit who tries to help him in this play, which carries an air of mystery.

• “Opposite Togetherness” by Siobhan Snider, Point Loma: A hapless refugee from civilization stumbles onto the doorstep of a mystical woman in this piece, which focuses on how people can learn from their differences (even if they’re extreme).

“Plays by Young Writers”

When: Opens at 7:30 p.m. March 8 (all four full productions). Then, Program A runs at 7:30 p.m. March 15 and 2 p.m. March 16. Program B runs at 7:30 p.m. March 13-14 and 2 p.m. March 15.

Where: Old Globe’s Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, Balboa Park.

Tickets: $20 ($50 for opening night, including reception); discounts available